Been thinking about finding someone to help you brighten up your smile for your big day? Here is a great resource to help you with getting a beautiful and healthy smile, the green way!.

Green Dentistry is an amazing organization that works to reduces waste and pollution in dental practices, save water, energy, and money, all the while helping to support a wellness lifestyle. The fact that such an organization not only exists but is thriving and in high demand points to the growing demand for eco-friendly lifestyles.

While even the most green minded individuals may not think that they should think green when it comes to oral hygiene, a surprising amount of water is wasted in the average dental office, but this is not the case if you pick a LEED-certified dental practice. These cutting edge, top of the line practices feature such unique offerings as rinsing equipment that keeps the mouth moist, but uses much less water than the typical one would. (One practice reported saving about a gallon of water a minute during business hours.) Other water, cost, and energy saving features include dual-flush-valve toilets and sink-less treatment rooms, and green doctors will also often opt to use a hand spray for sterilizing their hands as it is another easy way to save water.

It’s not only about the equipment however, going green for a dentist also means, according to The Center for Natural Dentistry, buying eco-friendly furniture, fabrics, air circulation systems and reusable towels to reduce waste; using eco-friendly cleaning solutions, on-site energy-efficient laundry facility, bio-hazard disposal policies to ensure toxic chemicals (such as mercury) don’t pollute our environment, comprehensive Patient Protection Program to ensure mercury vapors don’t pollute the air or patients’ lungs, and paperless records to reduce paper consumption and waste are just a few more ways to go green.

Once you’ve located a green dentist in your area try to plan your visit around an upcoming big event to optimize your chances for a bright smile when you need it most. Ask your dentist for a comprehensive evaluation including clinical and radiographic exams and a smile analysis for possible implants and/or crowns. There’s no better time than a reunion or wedding to work on fixing crowding or crooked teeth, but remember the procedures involved in accomplishing this (i.e. traditional brackets and wires or Invisalign) take time, so plan wisely. If you’ve got a big event coming up, now would also be a good time to speak with your dentist about getting a whitening analysis. The options include: customized take home whitening trays, in office ZOOM!, or Kor Whitening for brides with severe stains. Cosmetic restorations such as veneers, bonding, and/or contouring are also commonplace to help ensure the most eye-catching smile for an important event.

Sheila Fines is a guest blogger and freelancer for Top Dentists, an online dental resource.